Review: May the Best Man Win in COCK at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater

There are quite a few many people in this world, all simultaneously questioning or thinking of what each is meant to do in his or her life - perpetually wondering where one should be at a given point in time or where one should be heading in the grand scheme of existence. Everyone seems to feel more secure (and I suppose understandably so) allowing themselves to identify the things in people in their lives to the most definite of their ability, leaving Little Room for possible confusion or uncertainty; grey matter has almost become something to be scorned. Although not everyone is so insecure about not knowing, taking life as it comes, the way we universally approach the simple concept of not knowing is more or less predictable: no one likes to perpetually wonder, to wander, as it means one's personal identity is, in a sense, compromised. And when we lose what we are, that which each of us stands for, the foundation is cracked, the ego marred.

I would imagine this to be true no matter who or what a person considers himself to be, and with this in mind comes the idea of Cock. When an individual is forced to confront himself in an unprecedented way, battling his own mind in the midst of sudden uncertainty, great theater is bound to happen. The Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater's (WHAT) current production gives sufficient reason to show that everyone is fighting a personal battle, but how little we sometimes know ourselves is exemplified ten-fold in this gripping production.

Written by British playwright Mike Bartlett and directed by Jeffry George, Cock comes to WHAT's stage and continues in the tradition of bringing very heartfelt, existentially direct productions to a Cape Cod audience. With such a blunt title as this play is given, the audience risks coming to an immediate conclusion as to what they are to expect in the coming hours; yet, WHAT's repertoire has thrown quite a few surprises everyone's way thus far by making the titles become primary themes of what is about to ensue - that which envelops the play/musical and its characters, whether or not it is tangibly on stage for the duration of the show.

So saying, Cock is more about externalizing what is typically an internal battle: one with ourselves; this show takes the love, the affection, the yearning that is originally meant to be shared with another human being and almost forces it to mix with that which rarely brings other people into the fire: an individual's personal angst, indecision and self-identity that cannot, unfortunately, ultimately be resolved by means of other people...only by them in the end when a decision is finally made.

Cock introduces four characters on stage as the lights go up, two of whom in a fashion that has them "set" against each other like game pieces as the play begins. They stand within the confines of a circle made of rocks - a circle whose boundaries cannot be passed unless a character makes a firm and conscious decision to leave the stage; they are what George Deems as "trapped." In a rather Beckettian fashion, John and his boyfriend "M" initially take the stage with "W," John's recent love interest and "F," his boyfriend's father. The audience is already given the sense that these four individuals are there to fulfill a purpose, and that purpose is to at first explain the very clear-cut digression of the relationship between these two men, followed by John's meeting with "W," questioning whether or not his homosexuality was always that which defined him (and now even correctly so?).

As John slowly moves away from "M" and almost catapults his way towards a relationship with a woman, not only is his sexual orientation questioned, but in that rather existential sense he becomes a pawn to the opinions and demands of his fellow man - those who try to determine his life based on selfish personal desires. What ensues as John is confronted by everyone with reasons as to why life is to be lived a certain way is an incredible portrayal of what it is to not only be human and indecisive and just plain unknowing about one's own self let alone life, but also what happens when personal destiny is consumed by everyone but he who is meant to govern his own existence.

Bartlett's play does not analyze and scrutinize these characters as much as it does allow them to reach their own decisions through plenty of bouts of reasoning: visions of lifestyles and scenarios that are all legitimate and convincing enough to be in favor of, should the person choosing be able to identify what he or she desires. Yet, there is little reason to be found in the realm of human emotions, even less so when alluding to someone who is not able to govern his actions due to some sort of deficiency in his humanness. The characters in this show provide the details and workings of two ideal lifestyles, both which are appealing and have their merits, but both which cannot be fulfilled willingly because these suggestions are being directed towards someone who is almost animalistic in nature, unable to utilize any sense of rational free will.

This feral, almost peer-pressured sort of character is one facet which makes this show so interesting. There is that frightening moment when a person loses himself and doesn't know how to come back from that; in sheer panic does someone relinquish all self-reliance and come to rely on other people to fill the void. What kind of a life is that? How does one recover, if ever, from a loss of self that may or may not ever return? That is what Cock makes so excruciatingly entertaining for both those who empathize, and those who can only just begin to wonder.

Each actors does a wonderful job creating this sort of "game" occurring on stage, and their combined efforts makes the fundamental concept of identity so concrete yet fluid and changing at the same time. Even the passing of time and the manner in which these beings are forced to move ahead at certain times and then made to dwell on others to give the context of what is going on, there is such a focus on that excruciating unknowingness which accompanies John from the moment he breaks his bond with "M." Such a show like this and what is conveys can mean different things to many different people, and it is captivating how well Cock really emphasizes what it means to be human and speak of the human condition while ironically setting our doubts and insecurities against each other to create a world where people do wonder, but honestly, to what sort of end?

Nicholas Carter* as John, Lee Seymour* as "M," Madeleine Lambert* as "W" and Christopher Chisholm* as "F" really create the perfect cast to delve into the rather cruel game they play. I could pinpoint what I believe to be great about each actor, but this was honestly such a group haul that to say their collective efforts truly made for one beautifully captivating performance. Together they create something so engaging for the audience to behold, allowing us to watch the basic core of human existence unfold before us in a wonderfully executed way. Within the confines of that circle do they attempt to create a "world" that is personally satisfying yet to John, who cannot ultimately decide what is going to happen, that circle is unforgiving and cruel; it represents a cycle that perhaps may never be broken.

Such a show as Cock, as have the shows I have seen at WHAT thus far, are riveting because of this need to be human, to figure it all out; yet, what we learn in the process it that to simply "be" is the most difficult thing of all. And that is the premise on which this entire game truly begins.

Scenic & Lighting Designer Christopher Ostrom**, Costume Designer Carol Sherry, Sound Design/original music by Nathan Leigh and Production Stage Manager Jamaica Jarvis* also deserve mention for their contributions to this production, and making it visually something quite striking in its starkness.

Cock began performances at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, located at 2357 Route 6 in Wellfleet, on June 16th and will continue thru July 10th. Tickets are $12-$45 (with a variety of subscription plans also available to see shows in quantity) and can be purchased by calling the box office at (508) 349-9428 anytime between noon and 8:30 p.m. daily or by visiting http://www.what.org/. Performances run Thursday thru Monday @ 8 p.m., with a Playmaker Talkback on June 30th and "Theater Under 30" Pizza Night on July 8th. Food and beverages are available for purchase at the theater.

As WHAT states on its website, there is truly very great, thought-provoking theater to be found on this stage, and I invite everyone to see what the fuss is all about with Cock.

(Cock is not appropriate for young audiences.)

* Member of Equity Actors' Association

**The Scenic & Lighting Designer of this production is represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE.

Photo Credit: Michael and Suz Karchmer

To post a comment, you must register and login.